My Own Worst Nightmare
by DeadHallow
Summary: Anthropophobic and horribly timid Gwen is tossed into a world seemingly built around her own worst fear. Stuck in a world full of strangers, few of whom who are willing to accept the new outsider, and forced to partake in social interaction in order to re
1. Prologue

My Own Worst Nightmare

**Remember awhile back I put up a poll asking about possibly publishing a new story? Well... this is it. If you want me to continue, please review, otherwise this thing is gonna die just like everything else I write (excluding Red Joker of course). More info at the bottom.**

Prologue

"_This_ is the girl Nightmare thought could replace Alice?" The clockmaker thought to himself as he stared in disbelief at the trembling girl that sat in the chair in front of his desk. At least, he assumed she was a girl. With her flat chest, nothing special looks, short hair, and the fairly unisex name of "Gwen", it was a tad hard to tell. It wasn't until she spoke up and he heard her quiet, near whisper of a voice that he was able to figure it out. She was deathly pale, perhaps even more so than him, with her short, pitch black hair that only made her look paler. Her hair was choppy and uneven, as though she had cut it herself. She had dark circles under her eyes, showing that she hadn't been getting a good amount of sleep. She was skinny too, almost unhealthily so. Her limbs were so thin they could be mistaken for twigs. She was short, no taller than 4'11, which made her appear younger than she really was. Her clothes were simple, only a striped hoodie, black shorts and a pair of worn out boots. Her entire appearance seemed rough, nothing at all like dear sweet Alice. Did Nightmare really think that the residents of this world would love someone like her?

Her bluish-green eyes darted around like a frightened rabbit, never once looking up to meet his gaze. She was quite obviously terrified of the situation she was in. Which was understandable, seeing as how she had been treated so far. Due to Nightmare's screw up, she had not ended up at the tower upon entering Wonderland, but rather the forest... right next to the Hatter mansion. Poor girl.

Though he felt sympathy for the girl, for she was not taking this nearly as well as Alice had, he couldn't bring himself to show her any kindness. He treated her in the same cold, distant manner, he had treated Alice, if not more so. He explained the situation to her, though it was different from Alice's game. While they both involved socially interacting with the role holders, this girl's vial would only fill as they fell for her, instead of the other way around. Judging by both her appearance and personality, it seemed as though she would be here for awhile, if not forever.

Despite his disapproval of Nightmare's plan, she had already been given permission to stay at the Clover tower. He didn't bother to object. It's not like she had anywhere else to go. He knew that entering two of the other four territories would result in her death. The Hatters already made it clear that she was not welcome, and he doubted that the castle residents would either. More so Peter and the queen, as he couldn't see Ace caring all that much.

When he finally finished the lengthy explanation, he looked to see that her face had somehow managed to get paler, though he didn't think it was possible. He thought she was going to faint when he mentioned that she would have to interact with people in order to go home.

He ordered one of the tower employees to show her to a room so that she could lie down. The last thing he wanted was an unconscious girl on his floor. Nervously, she followed after the faceless man out of the room, leaving Julius alone to ponder the situation. She seemed to have some rather severe social anxiety. This was not going to be very fun for her, especially with the role holders still bitter about Alice's departure. They would not take to her very well. He wondered how long she would last.

"I give her a week."

* * *

><p><strong>Honestly I've been trying to write this since about October, and just this little snippet has been sitting in my documents for about three months now. I was really hesitant to publish this just because of how all my other "OC in Wonderland" stories, and most others, have gone. But, I'm giving it one last shot. I'm going to do my best to keep things more accurate to the series regarding how the Wonderland universe works and keeping characters in character, seeing as how I've failed at that with previous ones (I'm looking at you, Red Joker). And as of now, I'm not really planning on making this a romance story. I'm just not good with that stuff honestly, so it will be more friendship based. So with all that in mind, I hope you give it a chance.<strong>


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Welcome to Wonderland

I don't know how I got here... in this forest. I don't know this place. I had only been walking home through the woods, and I guess... I guess I got tired and sat down. Then there was darkness... that's all I am able to recall. I know this is not the forest near my home. It was in the middle of October and the leaves had turned from green to shades of oranges, reds, and yellows. The air was slightly chilly and the sky had already begun to turn dark, despite it being early in the evening. Here, the trees were completely green and the weather was perfect. The sky is bright, as if it was the middle of the day. It was as if I had somehow stepped into an entirely different forest. It was a bit... unnerving to say the least.

I kept walking. Maybe I was just imagining things. If I just continued on, my house would appear at the end of the path, just like it should. Though I noticed, there was a tree that I should have passed quite a while ago. I always noticed that tree, every single day. It stood out from the rest, but not in a good way. It was long dead, with bare gnarled branches and darkened, warped bark. It's gloomy appearance contrasted with the other brightly colored trees. It seemed as though it was farther apart from the rest, isolated within the crowd. It was almost lonely. In fact, if I remember right, that was the tree that I had rested against when got tired. So just where was it? Where was anything I remember? Where was the pile of rocks that sat by the stump of a fallen tree? Where was the patch of dead grass just a few feet away from the broken abandoned mailbox overtaken by weeds? I knew every detail of that forest by heart, and this was not it.

Paranoia started to build up inside me and my thoughts began to drift off somewhere darker. Dozens of thoughts raced through my mind, each one more unpleasant and irrational than the last. Little did I know, my theories made a lot more sense than what had actually happened to me.

I had no idea I was being watched as I stood there in the unfamiliar woods, trying to gather my thoughts. It wasn't long though before I heard a rustling in the bushes a little ways away from where I was standing. I jerked my head in it's direction. Two heads popped out from behind the bush, and I was slightly relieved to see it was just two little boys. Twins, from what I could tell. Though I would prefer not dealing with anyone, children weren't nearly as bad as those my own age, or, even worse, adults.

"Hey brother! Lookit, a lady! At least, I think it's a lady. Have you ever seen her before?" The one in all blue said to the other.

"No, this girl's a stranger!" The one in red replied.

"Is she a role holder? I've never heard of her."

"I dunno brother, she looks kinda weak to be a role holder."

"So does the wimpy caterpillar! But he can kill you without even touching you!"

I didn't say anything as they carried on their rather insulting and confusing conversation as if I wasn't there. I considered just walking away. Something about them made me nervous, as if something in my gut was trying to tell me they were dangerous, and I didn't think that I wanted to stick around and confirm that. Just as I started to back up, something they said caught my attention.

"Hey brother, we're technically in Hatter territory right now, aren't we?" The blue twin asked.

"That means the lady is a trespasser!" The red twin replied excitedly.

"We get to play with her then, right?"

"Yeah, c'mere lady! Let's play!"

Both of them leaped out of the bushes, and two axes materialized out of nowhere in each of their hands. I don't think their definition of "play" was the same as mine.

I stumbled backwards in surprise as they came towards me. They stood over me, wielding those axes in an intimidating manor. One of them swung theirs at me and I quickly moved out of the way, just narrowly dodging the attack. What is wrong with these children?! What kind of place did I end up at where children "play" by cutting up strangers?!

"Hold still lady!" I heard one of them exclaim as they swung again, missing my neck by a fraction of an inch, but in my attempt to avoid it I fell over backwards.

I had nowhere to go as they hovered over me with their weapons raised. I didn't think there was any chance of my survival. There was no way I could fight back, and there was nowhere for me to run. I shut my eyes tightly and waited for the pain of blades slicing into my skin, but just before they swung their weapons down and ended my life, I heard a voice call out from nearby, making the boys pause mid-murder.

"What the hell are you two doing all the way over here?! Get back to the gate!" The voice shouted. It was clearly male, most likely an adult. Though this would typically terrify me, I would much rather risk speaking to another person than be murdered.

Upon hearing the voice my eyes shot open to see the very annoyed sounding man walk into the clearing. I glanced up quickly and was taken aback but what I saw. I suppose I should have noticed that the boys were dressed strangely, or at least what I would consider strange, but I was so confused by the whole situation at the time that it didn't faze me. This man, however, was too odd looking not to surprise me. It wasn't just his clothing that was weird, but the fact that he had a pair of rabbit ears on top of his head. I couldn't see any form of headband, or anything at all to keep them in place, though I really didn't have time to dwell on it too much. I just passed it off as the headband being hidden beneath his hair, or perhaps they were clipped on. I didn't even bother to consider why a grown man would be wearing rabbit ears in the first place. I'd normally assume he was a cosplayer, but he didn't seem the type.

The boys turned towards him, and the moment their eyes were no longer on me, I stood up quickly and started to back away. The man's eyes landed on me for a split second, but before he could say anything I ran off as fast as I could in a random direction. I didn't care where I ended up as long it was away from those murderous children. I didn't stay long enough to form an opinion of the other guy but anyone that associates with the those two can't be good.

I ran until I couldn't run anymore, which honestly probably wasn't all that long. I'm not exactly in the best physical condition. But what exactly do you expect from someone that rarely sees the light of day?

I was exhausted by the time I stopped. My legs were numb and I could barely breathe. Though despite my efforts, I only ended up deeper in the woods I decided to sit down for moment near the dirt path. I hadn't seen anyone, or anything other than trees, bushes, and the occasional rock while I had been running. Though I'm not typically eager to socialize, I don't think I'll last much longer if I don't at least find out where I am. Hopefully then I can somehow find my way home.

I was so confused I didn't know what to think. Nothing made sense, absolutely nothing. I thought for a moment that perhaps this was just a dream. Maybe I fell asleep while I was resting? But this was quickly diminished when I realized I was far too self aware for that to be true. If I ever realize that I'm asleep within a dream, it is merely a passing thought. It comes and goes so fast that I have no time to even begin to process it before I go back to accepting the strange events that occur around me without a second thought. If this was a dream I wouldn't even question things such as why I was just attacked by two children, let alone something like strange clothing or a man with rabbit ears. No, this was no dream. Though I couldn't be sure it was reality either.

…

"Who was that girl you two were harassing anyway?" Elliot asked he walked back to the front gate with the twins lagging behind. He hadn't even gotten a good look at her, though he could've sworn he saw a face. A terrified face, but a face. Her being a role holder seemed implausible.

'Could she be a...? Nah.' Elliot thought to himself, quickly dismissing the thought. He must have been seeing things. She probably was just another faceless.

"We dunno, but she was trespassing on Hatter territory." Dee said apathetically, already having forgotten all about her.

"Yeah, so we were gonna kill her!" Dum exclaimed.

"Until you showed up and ruined it!" Dee added in an annoyed tone.

"Oh shut it you two! You aren't supposed to kill without Blood's permission anyway." Elliot shot back.

"But you do it too! Hypocrite!" Dee retorted.

"Hypocrite rabbit!" Dum chanted.

"I'm not a damn rabbit!"


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Dream... or Nightmare?

"H-huh?" I mumbled as I found myself floating in some kind of strange, colorful void, and by colorful I mean that it looked like a five year old's art project where they just smeared different colored paints all over a piece of paper. Now this felt much more dream-like, which only further proved that that I hadn't been dreaming before. How I could be dreaming if I was already dreaming in the first place?

"You are correct Gwen, you are dreaming." I jumped at the sudden voice. I jerked my head up in the direction of the voice to see a man floating above me. I stiffened as he came down towards me. Who is this man? And how does he know my name? He sure was weird looking though. Much more so than the other three I had met so far. Though he definitely matched his surroundings.

"I heard that." He said, looking mildly offended. H-heard what?! I didn't say anything.

"Not important." He said, waving it off. He keeps answering me, but I swear I'm only thinking these things.

"My name is Nightmare. Don't be nervous, I'm only here to help." He explained. He clearly didn't know much about me other than my name if he thought it was possible for me not to be nervous.

"You don't have to speak, just listen. Check your pockets for me, will you?" He asked. I obeyed, reaching into the pockets of my shorts, but I found nothing. It wasn't until I searched the front pocket of my hoodie that I felt something inside. It felt like some kind of glass tube. Upon pulling it out I found that it was a glass vial with a heart shaped stopper. It was filled to the top with some kind of green liquid that I couldn't identify.

"That vial right there contains the medicine of the heart. You're going to need to drink it." He explained. This caused me to look up at him in surprise. He really expects me to drink some strange liquid given to me by a stranger with almost no explanation?!

"It's up to you, really. But if you don't, I can't guarantee you will be able to get home." He said. I looked back down at the vial. It could be anything, drugs, poison, maybe even some weird potion. But really, what else could I do? This was the closest thing to help I had received so far, and the only piece of instruction I had to go on.

"I also must apologize for your arrival location. You were meant to appear on my tower, but it seems I made a mistake. I know where you are now, so please, don't move. I've sent my subordinate to get you. This world is far too dangerous for you to be wandering around uninformed." He warned. No kidding. That information would've been useful about fifteen minutes ago.

"Oh." He said, suddenly glancing up into the void.

"It's time for you to wake up."

…

My eyes blinked open and I found myself in the same spot I had dozed off in. I had halfway hoped I would wake up back in my own forest, but of course it wouldn't be that easy. I wonder, did that man actually appear? Or was he just a figment created from my own subconscious? Like I said, it did feel like a dream. If he was real, and everything he said was true...

I reached back into my pocket and found the same glass vial that Nightmare guy told me about. He said I was supposed to drink it, right? I pulled out the stopper and sniffed it's contents. It didn't seem to have any kind of smell. I know it was a really bad idea, but what else was I supposed to do?

I brought the vial to my lips and tipped it into my mouth. The liquid tasted awful. It was horribly bitter, but I managed to get it all down. I waited for a few moments, but I didn't feel any different. It hadn't seemed to do anything at all. That was a tad strange for something that Nightmare had claimed was so important.

I heard footsteps coming down the path which caused me to jump up in surprise. It was a man, that much I could tell. The way he was acting made it seem like he was looking for something, or someone. Nightmare said he was sending someone to get me, was this him? I really had no way of knowing. Now that I think about, why exactly would I want to go with him? I know nothing about what Nightmare even wants with me. From what I can tell, he might even be responsible for this whole thing. This could be a trap of some kind. Maybe I should just hide until he goes away...

Before I had a chance to decide, he turned towards me. Oh no, he saw me. He's looking right at me. I can't run away anymore. I froze in place as he began walking my way. No, no, no, no, just go away. Don't look at me, don't talk to me, just go away.

Despite my inner pleading, he continued to walk closer. I couldn't move, so I just stood there in fear as the distance between us grew smaller and smaller until he stood just a few feet in front of me. I gripped my hood tightly as I pulled it over my head, as if it would somehow make me less visible. Should I just walk past him? I moved slightly to right and started to hurry past when he spoke.

"Wait just a moment miss." He suddenly spoke. Shakily, I turned my head slightly and glanced up from underneath my hood. I hadn't actually gotten a good look at him before, but now I could see him clearly. I could already feel my heart starting to beat faster as I put my head down to avoid eye contact. He was rather tall, with navy blue hair and what looked like golden eyes. I didn't see them all that well since I was try avoid looking directly at them. From what I saw though, they were strange, almost reptile-like. He even had what looked like a lizard tattoo on his neck.

"Might I ask your name?" He asked, and my heart practically caught in my throat.

"M-my n-name?" I managed to stupidly stutter out.

"Yes, miss, your name." He said. What was it again? I'm so nervous I can't even remember. Oh, that's right. But should I even give it to him? He looks awfully suspicious. Then again, my brain isn't functioning well enough to give him a fake one.

"G-G-Gwen..." I practically squeaked, though I was smart enough not to give him my last name, you know, just in case.

"Ah, so you are the girl lord Nightmare sent me for. Please miss, come with me." He said. He seemed so polite despite being so intimidating. I really couldn't refuse, so I just nodded my head and followed him.

He tried to make conversation, but with my short, one word answers it was pretty much impossible. After awhile he eventually gave up. I hope he realizes it wasn't anything personal, but I just can't talk to people. The fact that he was grown man that was particularly scary looking only made it worse.

It wasn't long before we arrived at a tower, which I assume was the one Nightmare had mentioned. Once we were inside, he told me to wait out in the hall while he slipped inside one of the rooms. I could hear arguing from behind the door. The other person seemed really annoyed. After awhile, he returned, visibly frustrated though he tried to hide it.

"I'm afraid my boss is too busy to speak to you right now, but Julius here will explain everything you need to know." He said as he gestured for me to go inside. Hesitantly, I walked inside where I noticed a man sitting behind a desk. He must have been a clock repairman, judging by the various broken clocks that littered his desk. I was slightly intimidated by his grumpy expression. I didn't feel very welcome.

"Sit." He said simply, pointing towards the chair that sat in front of his desk. I couldn't help but jump slightly at his command. Once I was seated, he took a deep breath before starting what I could only assume was going to be a very long explanation.

"Listen closely, because I'm not going to repeat myself..."


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Deadly Stranger

My head was still spinning as I followed the man down the hall. I wasn't as surprised by his lack of facial features as I normally would have, seeing as how I had already seen many people like him on the way to the tower. Julius had told me they were appropriately called "faceless". I was admittedly very creeped out by the idea of a majority of a world's population not having faces at first, but then I discovered I had a lot more to be worried about.

Apparently this place is called "Wonderland", and is an entirely different world from the one I came from. As if this wasn't enough to take in, he also informed me that in order to get back, I have to interact with the residents of this world until that vial Nightmare told me about fills. To make matters worse, nearly everyone here is highly dangerous. Apparently the two boys and rabbit man I had run into earlier were members of the mafia. He advised that I avoid them for the time being, as if I was eager to go back.

Here I am, stuck in a foreign world full of deadly strangers and the only way to get home is to socialize with them. Of all the people in the world, why me? I can't talk to people. I just _can't_. I don't know why exactly. I've been this way for as long as I can remember. Though it has gotten significantly worse in the past few years. I'm honestly not sure when the last time I've had a conversation with another person was. I'm glad that the man leading me doesn't seem to be the talkative type. Though it did make the journey rather awkward. It was longer than I expected, but the building was rather big, incredibly big actually.

"This is your room, miss." He said politely as he opened the door for me. I let out a very quiet, but hopefully audible "Thank you" and the man left. I was happy to be alone at least. I walked into the room and was surprised to see just how large the room was. It made my room back home look like a closet.

I crossed the room and walked over to the window. From where I was standing, I could see practically the whole country. Apparently the place I am staying in is called the Clover tower, which is connected to the clock tower, where Julius lives. The other places, or "territories" are the Hatter mansion, where I had first ended up, the Heart castle, the amusement park, and the circus. I was also warned about the castle, which left only the amusement park and the circus. I wasn't eager to visit either of the two. Both of them would be packed with crowds, which I would rather avoid. But the other two would undoubtedly be dangerous.

It didn't matter now anyway. I wasn't going anywhere for the time being. I need time to come to terms with this, and even more time to convince myself to leave the tower. For now, I just need to rest. I left the window and walked over to the bed before flopping down face-first. The stress of the situation made me exhausted. I suppose I'll try to figure out what I'm going to do once I wake up...

…

"What the hell where you thinking?!" Julius shouted at the dream demon as he cowardly hid behind his desk. Gray only stood by idly, knowing his boss wasn't _truly _in danger... yet.

"I was simply trying boost the role holders spirits! Ever since Ali-"

"Don't say it." Julius practically growled through gritted teeth, causing Nightmare to flinch slightly before composing himself. Even speaking her name was enough to get some role holders upset, some more than others. For someone that refuse to show his emotions, he was pretty sensitive about the subject.

"Anyway, everyone has been so down lately I thought maybe bringing another foreigner into the mix might liven everyone up." Nightmare explained as if it was a responsible decision. Clearly he had not actually thought this through very well, nor did he take the others feelings into consideration.

"And you chose _her _of all people?" Julius argued, remembering the pathetic appearance of the timid girl that barely made it to the tower alive. He had little, if any, faith in her abilities to survive in this world.

"To be fair I didn't "choose" anyone. I merely made the connection and she happened to slip through." Nightmare said in his defense, as if that justified bringing the absolute least ideal candidate into this world.

"Send. Her. Back." Julius demanded.

"Too late. Gwen's game has already begun. Only she can find her way home now."

…

When I finally awoke, I found that it was dark outside. I guess I slept longer than I intended. At least now I have an excuse not to go out and explore the world right away. I don't think the severity of the situation had quite hit me yet, seeing as how I had yet to have a complete mental breakdown, though I'm sure that will change as soon as I have to actually socialize.

I rolled over on my side and picked up the little glass vial that I had placed on my nightstand. Though it had been completely empty, there was just the tiniest drop of liquid at the very bottom. It's a start I suppose. Seeing as how I've barely spoken three words to anyone since I got here, I'm actually surprised there was anything at all.

Slipping the vial back into my pocket, I got up out of bed. Other than pulling off my boots, I hadn't actually bothered to change out of my clothes, not like I had anything to change into.

I jumped from a sudden knock at the door. Was it one of the tower residents, or was it one of the faceless? I actually hoped it was a faceless, seeing as how it was much easier to talk to someone when it was practically impossible to make any form of eye contact. Maybe I should just pretend I'm not here and they'll go away.

"Miss Gwen? May I speak to you for a moment?" The visitor called out from behind the door. Despite only meeting him once before, I was able to recognize his voice. I didn't want to answer the door, but I also didn't want to be rude and ignore him. I'm imposing enough just living here.

Hesitantly, I made my way over to the door. I cracked it open just enough to confirm who I suspected it was. Gray stood there, looking almost surprised that I actually answered. I guess he caught on to my personality pretty quickly.

"I just wanted to see how you were doing. I know this whole situation may be a bit of a shock." He asked with what seemed genuine concern. I was admittedly taken aback. I wasn't actually expecting anyone to come and check up on me. It's not really something I'm used to. Unable to form a real response, I attempted to utter the two words I always say when my well being is questioned.

"I'm f-fine." I stuttered. I attempted to raise the volume of my voice, considering the height difference between us clearly played a factor in how well he could hear me, though it only made my voice come out squeakier than normal.

"I see..." He muttered. Of course he didn't actually believe me, but he apparently knew better than to question me further. He studied me carefully as he tried to figure out what to say in order to get more of a response out of me. I can tell he truly does want to help me, but has no idea how. The fact that I cause anyone that tries to speak to me so much trouble makes me feel like such a horrible person. I wish I had it in me to tell him I'm not worth the effort. After a moment of silence, he sighed, which I assumed meant he had given up.

"I suppose that's all I really wanted to ask. I'll be getting back to work now. If you need anything-" Before he could finish his sentence, he was interrupted by one of the doors swinging open and a man walking out into the hall. He looked awfully cheery, with a big silly grin plastered on his face.

"Haha, that wasn't Julius's room..." He said out loud to himself. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Gray grimace in annoyance upon hearing the voice.

"For the last time Ace, Julius is on the other side of the tower." Gray said, sounding exasperated, as though he has said the same thing dozens of times before. This caused the man, who I assume would be Ace, to look in our direction. His eyes immediately land on me, looking surprised. Gray seems to notice his mistake of drawing attention to us and attempts to distract him.

"Well, don't you have somewhere to be?" He said with a sense of urgency. Something tells me he really wants to get him away from here, or more specifically, me.

"I did, but it looks like I found something much more interesting." He said, not once taking his eyes off me. Please tell me I'm not that something.

My eyes widened as he began to walk closer. I wanted to duck inside my room and hide from this rather suspicious stranger, but I found myself frozen in place.

"Miss Gwen does not want to speak to you right now. I suggest you leave." Gray said, apparently sensing my discomfort.

"Aw, I just wanted to say hi. It's not often to see a new face around here. Since she's not a role holder, I assume there's only one thing she can be, right?" He asked, and suddenly I felt the atmosphere become even more tense. Gray didn't respond, only looking at him suspiciously, clearly wary of his intentions.

"I'll take your silence as a yes." He said, and though his smile stayed, I noticed it become grim, almost bitter.

"So are you gonna let me show the new outsider around or what?" He asked, returning to his original cheery state. Oh please no. I don't want to go anywhere with this guy. Though I usually assume the worst of people, there's something about him that I find particularly off-putting.

"Clearly she does not wish to go with you." Gray said, thankfully saying what I am unable to.

"How would you know? I don't recall you asking her." Ace argued back. I am unsure at this point if he really wants to spend time with me that badly, or if he just wants to antagonize Gray. I'm leaning towards the latter.

"I don't have to. Her expression says it all." Gray responded. I don't doubt that. I'm sure I look absolutely terrified. Mostly because I am.

"Haha, so you wanna fight for her then?" Ace challenged. I assumed he was joking, but judging from Gray's expression, that might not be true.

"I don't have time for-" Gray began, but was cut short by Ace drawing his sword. Yes, he was carrying a sword. That was something I had somehow not noticed before. Before I knew it, Gray had pulled out his own weapons and they were fighting. I can't imagine he would really be willing to fight over someone he didn't even know, so I assume he was just looking for a reason to fight.

I didn't know what to do. Really I just wanted to go back into my room and hide, but I was afraid that one of them would be hurt. Instead I stood on the sidelines, watching nervously as they fought. They were both very skilled I couldn't help but be a little impressed, despite my terror. Their blades clanged against each other as they dodged the other's attacks for several minutes before Ace managed to knock the knives out of Gray's hands. I held my breath as Ace placed the tip of his sword against Gray's throat. This wasn't a fight to the _death _was it?!

After a few suspenseful seconds, he drew the sword back with a laugh.

"Haha, looks like I win!" He said triumphantly. Then his gaze fell on to me.

"I'll be collecting my prize now." He said, and before I could even think to protest, he grabbed me by the wrist and began tugging me down the hall. I was too small to resist, so I could do nothing but run to keep up in order to avoid being drug behind him. I could just vaguely hear Gray shout something at Ace, but by that time we were to far away.

I have no idea where this man is planning to take me, but I can only hope that my suspicions of him are wrong.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Meeting Royalty

Not long after we left the tower, Ace had let go of my wrist. Normally I would've made a break for it the moment I was free, but he had led me into the forest, and I knew I would get completely lost if I tried to get back to the tower. At least it wasn't dark out anymore. I was surprised when I found that it was broad daylight outside, despite it being night just minutes before. It was strange, but I wasn't about to ask Ace about it.

Ace on the other hand, had no problem asking me questions as I struggled to keep up. I kept my answers short and quick, hoping he'd get the message that I wasn't willing to carry on a conversation, but, unfortunately, he didn't.

"So you're a an outsider, huh?"

"I-I guess..."

"And your name's Gwen?"

"Yeah..."

"My name's Ace, but I guess you caught that already haha!"

"..."

"You don't talk much, do you?"

Despite his chipper attitude and seemingly friendly nature, I couldn't help but be nervous about him. Well, more nervous than usual, if that's somehow possible. I still don't even know where he's taking me.

"Um... A-Ace? Where are we going?" I managed to stutter out after a few minutes of silence. He stopped in his tracks and looked around for a moment before turning to me with that same grin on his face.

"I have absolutely no idea!" He exclaimed cheerfully before turning around and continuing on despite the lack of direction. Well that wasn't exactly comforting. Since I couldn't walk away, and I didn't feel like questioning him further, I continued to follow behind.

…

"Well, we're here!" Ace exclaimed as we finally came to a stop.

'I thought we weren't going anywhere...' I thought to myself as I looked up. I had spaced out halfway through and hadn't noticed we actually began walking towards a destination. I realized that he had taken me to the Heart castle. I had seen it from my window, but it was much more remarkable up close. It looked like something ripped straight out of a fairy tale.

"I wasn't really planning on going to the castle, but I guess this works." He said apathetically. Then how did we end up here exactly?

"Since we're here, you should meet the queen. You probably haven't met a lot of people yet, have you?" He asked. I shook my head no, due to my inability to speak, mostly because I was partially in shock. Meeting a _queen_? I'm nowhere near important enough to meet royalty! I guess being an "outsider" makes my social class irrelevant.

I followed after him in a daze as we walked through the doors and down the corridor. What do I even say to her? Will I even be able to speak? Just thinking about it makes me want to faint.

As we walked down the hall, I looked up just in time to notice a man standing in the way. The first thing I noticed was that he, like a certain someone I had seen previously, had rabbit ears. I guess that was just a common thing in this world. It looked like he was speaking to a maid, who looked pretty nervous.

"Hey there Peter!" Ace chirped happily as he approached him. Upon realizing who it was that was speaking to him, he scowled in annoyance. This seemed to be a reoccurring reaction.

However, his reaction to me was even worse. His eyes narrowed dangerously, and he looked absolutely disgusted by my mere presence. His stare caused me to flinch and reflexively hide behind Ace. Even with him shielding me, I could feel Peter's cold gaze watching my every move. Poking my head out slightly, I could see him gripping the clock that hung over his shoulder so tightly I thought his fingers would break through the face of it.

"Why have you brought that _thing _here?" He demanded, referring to me as if I were a stray dog.

"Aw, you don't have to be so mean Peter. I just brought the new outsider to meet the queen." Ace explained, but this only seemed to anger him further.

"Get it out of my sight before I dispose of it myself." He snarled, glaring at me all the while.

"Harsh. Fine, we'll be on our way." Ace said before shrugging him off and walking away like it never happened. I practically ran to catch up, not wanting to be left alone for even a moment with this man. I didn't even look at him as I ran past, in fear that any accidental eye contact would result in my death. As far as I could tell, violence was just a part of everyday life in this world, and I don't think that this Peter guy would hesitate to kill me.

I walked right alongside Ace as we hurried down the hall, only looking back once to make sure he hadn't moved. Our eyes met for only a split second and I shivered at the coldness in his glare. I had only met him briefly, but he already hated me. I'm not sure what I did, but I'll have to be careful to avoid him from now on. That's three people so far that want me dead, and I haven't spoken a word to any of them. I was relieved when we turned the corner and he disappeared from view, allowing me to finally breathe.

It wasn't long before Ace stopped in front of a pair of large double doors. He pushed right through them and walked into the room, and I wasn't sure whether to follow or wait outside. I ended up just standing there in the doorway awkwardly, nervously staring at the floor.

"What are you waiting for? Come on!" Ace said as he pulled me into the room. I didn't have much time to look around before an angry sounding screech got my attention.

"We are becoming impatient! Find that useless rabbit and bring him to us immediately, or it will be off with your head!" I turned my head towards the voice and saw a woman sitting high up on a balcony in a throne, shouting orders at a faceless soldier. Judging by her looks, and the way she acted, I assumed this was the queen. It was when the soldier rushed past us that she noticed our presence.

"Knight, who is this girl?" She demanded as she looked to me. I immediately cast my eyes downward. It was nerve-wracking enough to meet royalty without them staring me down.

"This is Gwen, your majesty~!" Ace exclaimed cheerfully as he introduced me. She looked at me silently for a moment before she beckoned me further.

"Come closer, girl." She ordered, her expression unchanged. Despite knowing my name, she chose to refer to me as "girl". I'm not sure what to think of that.

Ace nudged me forward, and I reluctantly began walking up the steps to her throne. My nervousness made me walk rather slow, as if I was dragging a weight behind me. I had to keep my eyes locked on my feet or I was afraid I would trip.

"Faster, girl! We do not have all day!" She shouted, causing me to flinch. I picked up my pace, but I had to be extra careful to not trip over my feet. Her demanding tone made me so anxious even basic motor functions were difficult. Eventually, I made it to the top of the staircase, but by this point I was shaking all over and barely able to stand.

"Closer." She said, tapping the ground in front of her with her scepter. I managed to drag myself further, so that I was standing just a few feet away from her. I couldn't bring myself to look at her, so I kept glancing over everything in the room in order to avoid her eyes.

Suddenly, she placed her scepter underneath my chin. I was so surprised that I flinched again, but didn't dare to look away. She stared deep into my eyes, as if she was trying to see straight into my soul. I stood stiffly in place, unmoving except for the slight trembling of limbs. She stayed silent for so long, I wonder what she could be thinking?

…

Hmph. This girl isn't cute in the least. Shaggy hair, dark circles under the eyes, pale as death itself, and those clothes! She looks as if she slept in an alleyway. Even the tiny details, such as her short jagged nails and chapped lips are absolutely atrocious! Such a sight should be executed immediately! However...

Those eyes, those big, emerald eyes. They look as if they had been taken straight off of a porcelain doll. They looked at us fearfully. She was quite the timid type. That in itself was almost cute, her size as well. Such a tiny girl. Perhaps there might be a cute young girl underneath all that roughness? With a little help from an expert such as ourselves, she might be as cute as...

That reminds us.

"Little girl, are you an outsider?"

…

I froze when she asked that question. Being an outsider seems to be important here, and I'm still unsure if that's a good thing or not. I didn't want to answer her, but I knew lying to a queen, especially one as frightening as her, would be a bad idea.

"Y-yes, your m-majesty..." I stuttered. At this, she removed her scepter. She continued to look at me, like she was contemplating something.

"Hmm... you may live." She said, a grin finally breaking through her grim expression. Was that what she was thinking about?! Whether or not she would let me live?!

"Though we would like to speak to you further, we have important business to attend to. You will visit us again soon, and we will discuss your appearance. Until then, child!" She said, and made a shooing motion with her hand. I guess that's my cue to leave.

I hurried back down the steps with hand on the rail as I quickly made my way back to Ace. He laughed at my expression before escorting me out of the room. Once again, I managed to escape death. But... what did she mean by my appearance?

…

That girl... Gwen. She could never replace our dear Alice, but that does not mean we cannot befriend her all the same. Perhaps she might even ease some of the pain that Alice left us with. A cute little thing by our side might be just what we need to escape this sadness. A pet, of sort. Yes, this girl might just be useful after all.


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Them Again

After practically running out of the throne room, I asked Ace if we could go back to the tower. Even though he was clearly incapable of getting to any given destination in a reasonable amount of time, at least with him I didn't have to worry about any attackers that we may run into. I'd seen him fight with Gray, and I knew that nobody else would stand a chance. After the incident with those twins, I wasn't about to risk anything by wandering around alone. Doing so would be a death wish.

I didn't have any desire to speak to him, after our initial meeting and my short encounter with the queen, I'd already had enough social interaction for the day, maybe even the week. That didn't stop him from talking to me though. However, I guess by now he understood that I wasn't the most social person, and stopped expecting a response.

While he was having his one-sided conversation, I ended up spacing out again. I still don't think I had come to terms with my situation at that point. I was stuck in a state of denial, like I was still expecting to wake up in the forest and continue on my way home. It was way too surreal. I was half convinced that I finally snapped and that it was all just a vivid hallucination. That explanation made a whole lot more sense than any of this being real. Was I really supposed to accept that I had been whisked away to another world and had to play a seemingly pointless "game" in order to go home? I don't know how anyone could.

I had to ask myself though, what if this was all real? What if I wasn't going to wake up... or snap out of it? What was I going to do if I really had to go through with this game? At this point, I pulled that little vial out of my pocket. I honestly couldn't tell if it had anymore liquid than last time. If there was, it wasn't significant enough to notice. I don't know why I had expected anything different. I doubt I've actually spoken more than ten words to anyone in all the time I've been here.

Sighing in defeat, I slipped the vial back into my pocket. At this rate I was going to be stuck here forever. Suddenly I realized I had gotten so wrapped up in my own negativity that I hadn't been paying attention to where we were going. I looked up and saw that Ace wasn't walking in front of me anymore. I stopped dead in my tracks and looked around. Ace wasn't anywhere to be found. I must have lost him while I was zoned out.

The grave nature of my situation hit me almost immediately and panic began to set in. I was lost in the woods, alone, absolutely no idea how to get back along with the possibility of attackers lurking in the shadows. To make matters worse, it was beginning to get dark. In case you haven't already figured it out, I'm a pretty paranoid person. I mean the, grab a knife and cower in the corner of the room the moment you hear a barely audible noise in the house kind of person. So you can probably imagine how freaked out I was right about now.

I wasn't thinking clearly, so instead of remaining calm and acting rationally, I instead decided to take off in a random direction in a frenzy. I didn't know where I was going, but I figured if I just ran in a straight line long enough, I'd find my way out.

Obviously, this didn't happen. I leaned against a tree, refusing to sit down in fear of falling asleep, practically gasping for breath. I hadn't found anything, or anyone. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if I were in the exact same spot I had started at. All I can really do is keep walking. If I stay here, it will eventually become too dark to see and I'll be left completely at nature's mercy. I can't expect anyone to come and find me, not that I would want them to. The last thing I want is for someone I hardly know to go out of their way for my sake. I'll get out of this myself, one way or another.

Right when I decided to continue on, I heard someone coming up the path. I ducked behind a nearby tree, and poked my head out cautiously. It turns out it wasn't just one person, but three. When they came closer, I gasped in sheer horror. Though I didn't recognize the one in the middle, I came to the horrible realization that the two on each side of the stranger, were the twins I had the misfortune to encounter upon arriving. Dee and Dum, I believe I had been told.

I immediately hid myself completely and hoped that they would pass. I might have been able to get away the first time, but I doubted I would be so lucky a second time. I tried to control my breathing, but both exertion and fear had taken its toll on my lungs. I slapped my hands over my mouth to muffle the noise and tried to stay as still as physically possible, but I couldn't stop my violent trembling. They were talking amongst themselves, but I couldn't focus on what they were saying. That was, until I heard...

"Hey, wait a second guys. Do you hear that?"

My heart pounded against my chest, and I could tell my breathing was getting faster and heavier, as if trying to make my presence even more obvious. The fear only increased when I heard a set of footsteps walking towards my hiding place.

"What the- who the hell are you?" The stranger demanded in surprise as he peeked around the tree. I know I've mentioned the odd clothing of the inhabitants of this world, but this guy tops them all. He wore an alarming amount of pink, and what looked like a skirt. Just what was that thing he was wearing around his shoulders? It seemed he also possessed a pair of animal ears, though of the cat variety. I was no longer surprised by this feature at least.

"Who is it?"

"Yeah Boris, who is it?!"

The two twins asked, before immediately popping up behind him, apparently too impatient to wait for an answer. They looked at me for a moment before their eyes went wide in recognition, their grins widening excitedly.

"It's the girl!" Dee, I think, exclaimed.

"The one who got away!" Dum, I think, added. I was already getting ready to run for it, but I really didn't have anywhere to go. All I could hope for is that they lost their desire to kill me, though I highly doubted it.

"You two know her?" Boris, I assume, asked.

"She was trespassing on Hatter territory!" Dee explained.

"We tried to kill her, but she ran away!" Dum continued.

"Trespassing? Let me guess, you two didn't even bother to ask whether or not she had reason to be there and just decided to kill her, didn't you?" Boris asked accusingly.

"We were just doing our job!" They said defensively.

"You're the gatekeepers. You're supposed to keep _enemies _from getting in." He argued. By the way he said it, I could tell this was a reoccurring problem.

"How do you know she isn't an enemy?" Dum retorted.

"She could be a trained assassin for all we know!" Dee exclaimed in agreement. Boris just looked at me, trembling in fear as I watched them argue, before scoffing at the idea.

"Yeah, right." He said with an amused smirk. Unlike the murderous bloody twins, he could tell that I was obviously not a threat. Whether or not he actually cared about that fact, I did not know.

"So, if you're not a trained assassin, who are you?" He asked, and all three of them looked at me expectantly. With three pairs of eyes staring at me, two of which had violent intentions, I could barely find my voice in order to answer.

"I-I'm G-Gwen..." I managed to force the words out.

"Ren?" He questioned, apparently hearing my name wrong. I didn't blame him. It happened all the time. I usually have to repeat whatever I say at least three times before anyone can understand it.

"N-no, Gwen." I repeated, trying to speak louder and clearer, though my fear was making it nearly impossible.

"Quinn?" He asked again, this time I could swear I saw his grin widen.

"N-no... It's-" Before I could finish, he started laughing, causing the twins to laugh as well.

"I heard you the first time girlie. I'm just messing with you." He said and continued chuckling at his own joke. I didn't respond, only looking down to the ground, my cheeks turning slightly pink in embarrassment. I've dealt with people like this before, people that abuse my shyness for laughs. Despite the many times It's happened, I still feel bad afterwords.

I guess he noticed my expression, because he stopped laughing. He opened his mouth to say something, but the twin's giggling hadn't ceased. He looked annoyed and bonked them both on the head. Ignoring their cries of protest, he turned his attention back to me.

"I've never seen you before. Just where did you come from?" He asked, though much less accusingly as he had at first.

"I-I'm... not from around here..." I said, my voice hardly above a whisper. For a moment I thought he hadn't heard me, then he leaned in closer. He stared me dead in the eyes for several excruciating moments, before shutting his eyes and frowning. The twins glanced at him before whispering to each other. I couldn't hear exactly what they were saying, but I could have sworn I heard the words "big sis". Only a few seconds passed before Boris opened his eyes.

"Gwen, are you an outsider?" He asked. Their gazes intensified as they awaited my answer. I wasn't nearly as intimidated by now, as they no longer seemed dangerous, but genuinely curious. The twins actually looked... hopeful, for some reason.

"Y-yes..." I squeaked. They all glanced at each other before looking back at me.

"Big sis!" The twins exclaimed as they lunged at me, grabbing onto both of my arms. I stumbled slightly, but their combined weight anchored me to the ground. I froze up as they held tightly onto me, clinging to the sides of my body and refusing to let go. Any form of physical contact makes me uncomfortable, even if they are just children.

"Hey! She _isn't_ the same as- well, you know. Don't act like she is!" Boris yelled them. I don't know why he got so angry. Who am I not the same as? I really have no idea what they're talking about. Their expressions changed almost instantly as they let go of me.

"I guess you're right..." Dum mumbled sadly, shoulders slumped in defeat.

"Yeah, she isn't big sis..." Dee sighed, looking equally as sorrowful as his twin.

"We should kill her then, right brother?" Dee suggested, his grin returning. Oh god no, not again.

"Yeah! She can't replace big sis if we kill her!" Dum agreed enthusiastically, and their axes appeared in their hands. I gasped in horror and stepped back. They came towards me, axes raised, and I found myself in the same exact position I had when I first arrived.

"Hey!" Boris exclaimed, reaching out to stop them. He grabbed them by the back of their jackets and pulled them back.

"You can't just kill her!" Boris shouted at them.

"But you said-!" They began to argue.

"That's not what I meant!" The three of them began fighting and it wasn't long before they were so wrapped up in their argument that it was as if they forgot my presence. I saw the opportunity to escape and I took it.

I managed to slip away without any of them noticing and took off down the path. Those twins were clearly psychotic. They went from practically smothering me with hugs to wanting to kill me in a matter of seconds. As for Boris... I really can't say. He saved me from the twins at least, so he can't be too horrible.

But even after dodging death once again... I was still lost.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Burden

After about another hour of walking, I finally stumbled out of the forest. It was pretty easy to find the tower afterwords, surprisingly enough. Once I arrived, I saw both Ace and Gray standing outside, Gray looking completely furious. I guess they hadn't noticed me, because they didn't acknowledge my presence. I stopped and hid myself behind a wall. Maybe if I just waited it out, they would leave and I could make a beeline to my room without having to talk to anyone.

"You lost her?!" I overheard Gray exclaim.

"It's not my fault! She's so quiet I didn't realize she wasn't there anymore!" Ace said in his defense. Oh, they were talking about me.

"And you didn't try to find her?" Gray demanded.

"Sure I did. You know, for a little while." He said with a shrug of his shoulders. Well at least he tried...

"And now I suppose I'll be the one to locate her, thanks to your mistake." Gray said in annoyance. I guess I can't really just slip past them now, not unless I want Gray to be searching through the forest for nothing. I was about to step out and reveal that I was not, in fact, lost, when the two of them turned the corner, still bickering.

"Gwen, there you are." Gray said, sounding relieved, probably because he wouldn't have to go out and find me again.

"See? She's fine! No need to be so angry Mr. Lizard~" Ace said, clearly unconcerned. Gray, ignoring Ace, walked over to me.

"I'm glad that you are alright Gwen, but I would advise that you do not wander around without a _competent _escort for the time being." Gray warned, glaring at Ace as he said it. I don't plan on leaving this tower with _anyone _for quite awhile, but thank you for your concern.

"That hurts." Ace said with an exaggerated offended expression.

"You'll get over it. Finish your business here and leave." Gray said before turning and walking back towards the tower. I heard Ace sigh and looked back to him.

"I guess I've kept Julius waiting long enough. Later Gwen!" Ace said before walking off as well. At least I'm alone now. I just want to lock myself in my room and not leave for about a week. Granted I can find it, that is.

…

By some kind of miracle, I did manage to find it, and seeing as how I could have wandered around for hours before forcing myself to ask for help, it was a big relief. I immediately lied down on the bed, not even bothering to take off my shoes as I was far too tired to bother. Being an introvert, just the little bit of social interaction I was forced into today drained me both physically and emotionally. I was tired, but not sleepy tired, just... tired. I wouldn't be able to sleep even if I tried, but I had no energy to do anything else but lie there. Typically it would take me several days to a week to recover, but I don't have that kind of time. If I want to go home, I need to get up and force myself to meet the rest of these "role holders". Not now, obviously, but eventually.

Though I knew it would only further discourage me, I pulled out my vial once more. Surprise, surprise, it hasn't changed, or at least it doesn't look like it. I know that if I want this to be over quickly, I actually have to speak to them, as in, more than three words.

I haven't really formed much of an opinion on them to be honest, well, besides those twins. I'll be avoiding them as much as possible. Gray seems like a pretty decent guy at least. Unfortunately, that doesn't mean that talking to him will be any easier. I've only met the others once before. Oh, and Peter. I nearly forgotten about him. All I can say is that I sincerely hope we never meet again.

Looking at the vial only made me feel more helpless than I already did. I was so sick of looking at my lack of progress that I rolled over and chucked it into the drawer on my nightstand, making a mental vow to not look at it again until I know there will be a significant difference. I know that I'll probably crack and look at it again the next time I talk to somebody and be met with the same crushing disappointment when I realize I'm no closer to leaving this world, but I can at least try, right?

With the vial out of sight, I lied back and tried to relax. Staring up at the ceiling, I attempted to clear my head of all the thoughts racing through my mind. My thoughts are the main reason I can't sleep at night. They never allow me to sleep. When I'm lying down in the darkness, my mind completely free to wander, I just can't drift off to sleep. It's a bit of a pain, to say the least. For now though, thinking is just about the only thing I have the strength to do.

…

A sudden knock at the door breaks my train of thought. I'm not sure how long I had been spaced out for. Knowing me, it could have been anywhere between a few minutes and a few hours. I completely loose track of time when that happens. I got up and made my way over to the door. Was it Gray again? I hoped it wasn't Ace, then again, I highly doubt he ever could have actually found my room. Upon opening the door, I found it was not in fact Gray, but one of the faceless employees, carrying a tray in her hands.

"Miss Gwen, Mr. Ringmarc asked me to bring this to you. Um, don't worry though, he didn't cook it himself. I checked in advance." She said. Was Gray a bad cook? Judging from the way she said it, I would assume so. I can't really say much though, I'm not the best either.

"O-Oh, um, thank you..." I said in a slightly surprised tone. I hadn't really expected, or wanted, anyone to cater to me. In fact, it made me feel guilty that this person had to go out of her way to deliver it to me, when she clearly has more important things to do.

"Don't mention it, miss. Here, let me set this down for you." She said, and I quickly stepped out of the way to let her in. She walked over to the small table that sat in the middle of the room and set the tray down.

"I'll come by later to take the tray back to the kitchen. Enjoy, miss Gwen." She said with a polite bow before exiting the room. Though I did feel undeserving of this treatment, I actually was kind of hungry. I hadn't eaten anything since I got here, mostly because it hadn't crossed my mind. It's not really anything new with me. It takes a special kind of person to forget the basic necessities required in order to live.

The food quality was much better than what I was used to. Like I said, I'm not a very gifted cook. I had tried, but it usually ended up a charred mess. That being said, it was nice to eat something that hadn't come out of a microwave.

The fact that Gray had not only taken time out of his day to check up on me, nearly went out into the forest to look for me, and sent one the tower employees to bring me food, made me horribly guilty. I barely knew this man, but he seemed to be constantly concerned about my well being. Some people might find this comforting, but not me. It just made me feel like a burden. I knew that it wasn't my fault that I was in this position, but it wasn't his either. Yet it seemed he was the unfortunate one that got stuck catering to my issues.

I would offer to help out around the tower in order to feel like less of a freeloader, but I knew I'd probably mess everything up anyway. I'm just a klutz with the inability to complete the most basic of tasks. I'd never be of any help. Really, the best thing I can do is get myself back home as soon as possible, for everyone's sake.

After I eating what I could, l left the half-finished meal sitting on the table and walked over to the window. There was still a lot left of this world to explore, and I knew I had to get going soon. I didn't know where I was planning to go, but staying locked away in that room wasn't getting me any closer to home.


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Found You

"Do you see her anywhere?" Dum asked his brother as he scanned the crowd. The two of them stood in the middle of town in the clover territory, searching for the outsider that had escaped them once again.

"No." Dee replied in a huff.

"I can't believe stupid Boris is making us find her." He said, having become bored with the whole thing.

"Why does he even care? He's the one that said she isn't anything like big sis!" Dum exclaimed, clearly annoyed. Both of them were eager to forget about the girl. Other than her being an outsider, they didn't think there was anything particularly interesting about her, and would have preferred just to kill her. However, Boris was so angry that they scared off the new outsider he made them help look for her.

"It's still better than work though, right brother?" Dee asked.

"I guess..." Dum reluctantly agreed. With a sigh, he turned his head and his eyes suddenly lightened up as he pointed down the street.

"There she is!"

…

I kept my head low as I walked down the streets. I kept getting stares from passerbys, and I figured it had something to do with the fact that I had a face. I felt horribly uncomfortable with the unwanted attention, but it was a bit impossible to hide.

I couldn't bring myself to try and visit any of the remaining territories, but I felt so useless just sitting around doing nothing that I decided to at least get out of the tower. In the end, I opted to wander around the streets aimlessly. Now I'm not only doing nothing to further advance in this "game", but I'm freezing as well. I guess I forgot to point out, or rather I didn't notice, that the weather was a bit... odd. As in, it had the tendency to completely switch from one season to the other depending on where you are. In the Clover territory, it was winter. I've been told this is only temporary, as it was currently "April season". I'm honestly not sure why anyone bothers trying to explain these things to me. They never make any sense, at least not to me anyway. At this point, all I can do is nod my head like I understand and go with it.

I honestly have no idea why I bothered to do this. Did I really think that at some point I would gather the courage to go and attempt to socialize? I might as well go back to the tower...

"There she is!"

I stopped in my tracks. That voice, I had only heard it a couple of times before, but I remembered it. My eyes were wide as I slowly turned my head to see the twins running towards me. Pedestrians practically jumped out of the way as they barreled through. Like a deer in the headlights, I stayed frozen in place, only staring in fear as they grew closer at a terrifyingly fast pace. I couldn't move, or even think. Would they really kill me, here, in such a crowded area?

After a few moments I collected myself and turned to run. They called after me as I ran around the corner, but I didn't look back. I managed to escape them twice before, there's no way I'd be able to do it a third time.

Unfortunately, it wasn't long before I came to a dead end. I had stupidly decided to try and lose them through an alleyway, but I had been met with a tall fence. It was far too tall to climb, though believe me, I tried. Obviously it didn't work out too well.

I stood there with my fingers through the chain-link fencing, staring at the other side as I heard the pair of footsteps coming up behind me. I spun around, my back pressed against the fence as they came closer. To my surprise, it wasn't the twins. Well, they were twins, but not the ones I had been expecting. They were identical except for a few small details such as hair length, and they were much older than Dee and Dum, though they looked strangely similar. Were they... related to them?

"Why did you run sis? We just want to talk to you!" One of them exclaimed. They continued to walk further until they were standing right in front of me, the shorter haired one on the right, and the longer haired one on the left, leaning over me in an unintentionally intimidating way. They had me completely trapped.

"Who... who are you?" I asked once I found my voice.

"See brother? I told you she wouldn't recognize us like this!" The one on the right said, turning to the other.

"Then why is she still scared of us?" The other asked. They both turned to look at me, studying me intensely.

"Maybe she's scared of strangers?" The first suggested thoughtfully.

"I think you're right brother. We should change back, so she won't be scared, don't you think?" The other said, earning a nod in agreement. Before I could even begin to question what they were talking about, they had shrunk down to just about my height. It was those twins after all. How in the hell did they do that? …. actually, you know what? I don't care.

"Boris said to take her to the amusement park if we found her, right brother?" Dee said.

"Forget Boris, let's take her to the mansion!" Dum suggested. The mansion? As in, the Hatter Mansion? The freaking mafia headquarters!?

"Yeah, Boris can wait his turn!" Dee agreed.

"C'mon sis!" They both exclaimed as they reached out to grab my arms. I managed to pull them out of the way in time, leaving them grasping at the air.

"Don't you want to play with us, sis?" Dee asked, sounding confused at my reluctance. I knew that agreeing to go with them could be dangerous. However, I didn't know how they would respond to my refusal. There really wasn't an easy way out of this.

"I... I can't." I said, without giving any reason as to why. Mostly because I hadn't thought that far yet.

"Why not?" Dum asked.

"Yeah, why not?" Dee chimed in.

I paused for a moment as I tried to think of an excuse. I've never been all that great at lying. Then again, I haven't ever really needed to. At least not that I can remember anyway.

"W-well I-"

"There you brats are! Your break ended two time periods ago!" A loud voice angrily shouted down the alleyway, causing me to jump and the twins to turn towards the sound.

The man I had only see briefly once before came stomping towards us. If I remembered correctly, his name was Elliot. Julius had told me the names of all the role holders, though I only remembered a few. The only reason I remembered his name in particular was because of the impact his appearance had made on me. By that I mean, he was far too weird looking to forget.

"We were coming back!" Dee said defensively.

"Yeah, right." Elliot scoffed as he continued to walk closer. It wasn't until he stopped right in front of them that he noticed me. Seeing as how I was roughly the same height as the twins, it was understandable that he didn't see me.

"Who in the- wait a minute. You're that girl from before aren't you?" He asked, looking both shocked and confused.

"Yeah, sis here is an outsider!" Dum said, answering for me.

"Another one? Already? I thought they were supposed to be rare." He said as he leaned down slightly to get a better look at me. He was practically a giant compared to me, or in general really. He towered well over a foot above me, even when leaning. Despite the fact that he hadn't actually done anything to scare me, I was more frightened than ever.

"What's your name anyway?" He asked. I opened my mouth to answer, but I found myself so intimidated that I couldn't speak.

"Her name's Gwen." Dum answered. He looked confused that it was Dum who had answered him instead of me.

"She doesn't say much." Dee said, answering the question that he had silently asked. His gaze shifted back to me, and I assumed he finally noticed how frightened I was. He quickly straightened up and returned his attention to the twins.

"Well quit harassing her and get back to the gate where you belong!" He demanded, as if suddenly remembering why he was there. The twin's shoulders slumped as they whined in retaliation, but he wasn't having any of it.

"Go, now! Your pay and vacation time is on the line!" He ordered. Upon hearing the words "pay" and "vacation" they immediately scrambled away.

"Geez, sorry about them. You alright kid?" He asked. Though I had no way of showing it, I was grateful that he had intervened.

"Y-yeah." I managed to stutter. I guess he realized it wasn't just the twins that made me so timid, and rather that it was just my personality, because he didn't try to initiate anymore conversation.

"Well I guess I'll see you around. Come by the mansion later if you want. I bet the boss would like to meet you." He said and without waiting for a response that he knew he wouldn't get, he turned around and left. Well, he seemed friendly, and he didn't consider killing me, so I guess he isn't all bad. Still, I don't think I'll be accepting his invitation anytime soon.


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Amusement Park Anxiety

This took longer than expected sorry, ;^^ but it's also twice as long as usual so I hope that makes up for it! Enjoy and review please :D

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><p>I was still shaken by my encounter with Elliot and the twins as I made my way back down the street towards the tower. None of them had even threatened me, but that hadn't made it any less frightening, especially now that I know who they are. I don't think, even under these circumstances, that I can befriend someone in the mafia. That's something I'd rather not get involved in.<p>

It had started to snow by this point, and I was far too under dressed to be outside. I doubted that the few words we had exchanged had further progressed this "game" in the slightest, but it made me feel better knowing I had at least made some kind of attempt.

Trying to avoid the curious stares of passing strangers, I took a less traveled path back to the tower. It was a little bit longer, and I took a chance at getting lost, but I decided that I would take the chance. To be honest, I'm not even completely sure they were staring. Without faces, it was hard to tell, but I know that I could _feel_ them staring at me. I was so used to blending into the background, that any form of attention made me uneasy.

The path I had chosen was completely barren, much to my relief. Unfortunately, this path also lengthened my walk in the bitter cold by several minutes. The biting wind blew so hard that I had to hold tightly on my hood to keep it from blowing back. I was so eager to get out of the cold that I wasn't paying any attention to my surroundings. I didn't notice someone coming up behind me until a hand came down upon my shoulder.

I let out a cry of surprise as I spun around and was met with someone that I had met briefly before. Boris, the oddly dressed cat man stood before me. Though I would have preferred to get back to the tower without interruption, Boris wasn't the worst person I could have met along the way.

"There you are! Man, I've been looking all over for you kid." He said. He calls me "kid" though I feel he isn't all that much older than I am. I recently turned seventeen, but I am often mistaken for as young as twelve. My height, and overall lack of womanly features made sure of that. For the most part though, I don't care enough to correct anybody.

"The twins didn't scare you too badly did they?" He asked. No, not at all. The death threats were actually rather charming.

I didn't say that of course. Obviously they had terrified me. I assumed that the whole running away in terror thing made that clear.

"Oh come on, you're not afraid of me too are you?" He asked after I had not responded, sounded slightly dejected.

"N-no..." I mumbled. It was only half a lie. I was afraid of everybody, but he was significantly less frightening than others.

"I don't believe you." He stated flatly, before a sly grin spread over his face.

"Prove it to me." He said.

"Wh-wha-" I stuttered out in surprise. What did he mean by that?

"Prove it by coming to the amusement park with me." He said. The amusement park? Though it was not as bad as I had expected, I still wasn't sure I wanted to go. It would surely be crowded, and not to mention loud. I'm not a big fan of roller coasters either.

"It'll be fun! Besides, don't you want to get out of this cold? It's summer over at the park." He persisted. I was freezing, but to be honest I hate summer much more than winter. Then again, if I wanted to get home, maybe going along with it is my best option. Besides, I really don't have a excuse not to.

"...okay." I agreed, barely above a whisper. He seemed to have heard me though, as he immediately perked up and grabbed me by the hand before eagerly leading me away.

…

It wasn't long before the freezing winter weather transitioned into a much warmer one as we walked from the Clover territory to the amusement park. Boris had been walking so fast he probably would've lost me if it weren't for the fact that he was practically dragging me behind him.

"And we're here!" Boris announced once we reached the front gates. I was nearly blinded by the obnoxiously bright color scheme that covered everything from the rides to the employee's uniforms. As expected, it was also very crowded. The noise from not only the large amount people, but also the rides and cheery music was overwhelming. I hadn't even gone in yet, but I was beginning to regret agreeing to this.

I was surprised when the employees just let us pass through the gates. Aren't you supposed to pay to get in? Not that I actually have any money to pay for a ticket anyway.

Once we were inside, Boris finally stopped and turned to face me.

"So Gwen, what do you wanna do first?" He asked. "Leave" is what I wanted to say, but I didn't want to be rude. He had been nice so far, and I didn't really have any reason not to like him. Still, I don't know if his attempts at establishing a friendship are genuine or not.

"I don't know... I've never been to an amusement park before." I admittedly quietly. I've honestly never had a reason to. I've never had anyone to go with, and going by myself would just be lonely. Boris raised an eyebrow at me in surprise.

"Never?" He asked incredulously. I merely shook my head.

"Well in that case..." He said, a grin spreading across his face.

"I'll be sure to give you the full experience!" He exclaimed enthusiastically.

...Great.

"But, first things first, you should meet the owner." He said. The owner of the amusement park? I'm guessing that they're the head of this territory, much like the queen. I can only hope that they aren't as terrifying her.

"He shouldn't be hard to find. Afterwords we can have the real fun."

…

"There he is! Hey old man!" Boris exclaimed after we had wandered around for a bit, checking all the places he claimed that the owner frequented. I looked in the direction that he was pointing and saw a man who seemed to be overseeing the construction of a new ride. His outfit definitely matched his surroundings with bright shades of blue and yellow. He actually rivaled Boris is his strange choice of dress.

He turned his head and grinned when he saw us. He came over to us, looking both surprised and delighted to see a new face.

"Boris, who's this little lady you've brought with you?" He asked once he reached us. His cheerfulness was almost overwhelming.

"This is Gwen. Gwen, this is Mar-" Boris began, but was interrupted by a dangerous looking glare from the owner.

"uh, Gowland." He corrected himself and Gowland's glare immediately turned back into its original friendly smile.

"Pleasure to meet ya Gwen!" He said, grabbing my hand and shaking it enthusiastically.

"Y-you too..." I stuttered timidly as I drew my hand back.

"I've heard word going around that there's a new outsider running about. I suppose that would be you?" He asked. People are actually noticing me? And... talking about me? That makes me uneasy...

"Yup, Gwen here is an outsider." Boris said, confirming his suspicions.

"Never thought I'd live to see two outsiders in one lifetime. I guess they aren't as rare as they say!" Gowland said. This isn't the first time I've heard mention of another outsider, though I have yet to meet her. I wonder if she's still around? From they way she is mentioned, I don't think so. I would ask but, I think it's a bit of a sensitive subject.

"Now that you mention it, it is kind of weird..." Boris paused, seeming to contemplate it for a moment.

"Eh, whatever." He said, shrugging the strangeness of the situation off.

"Well, anyway, since we're done with the whole meet and greet thing, why don't you and I-"

"Hold on there Boris! You didn't even give me a chance to play a song for Gwen!" Gowland interrupted, holding up a violin that seemed to appear out of nowhere, causing Boris to grimace.

"Uh, wait old man! Don't you have that meeting with Blood soon? You don't want to be late do you?" Boris said, sounding desperate. Are his music skills really that bad?

"Damn, I'd nearly forgotten all about that." Gowland said.

"I suppose I'd better get to it. The faster I get it over with, the better." He said with a sigh.

"Well Gwen, I guess I'll have to play for you next time. For now, have fun! I'll see you kids later." He said before heading off. As soon as he was gone, Boris let out a sigh of relief.

"Be glad, I just saved your ears kid." He said. I'm not sure whether Boris is exaggerating or Gowland really is that horrible. Either way, I can't say I'm too disappointed that I didn't get to hear it. He seemed nice enough though, a bit too friendly if anything. I've met another role holder at least. There can't be too many left that I haven't met already at this point. Now that I think of it, isn't there supposed to be a third role holder at the amusement park?

"Now let's actually have some fun!" Boris said, now that we had met the owner. I highly doubt his idea of fun is the same as my own. Then again, I don't really know what my idea of fun is either. I mean, I like playing video games... and reading comic books... and wasting time on the internet. But are they really fun, or are they just distractions? I can't really tell the difference at this point. I don't even have those things anymore.

I'd much rather just go back to the tower, but I can't really leave now. I guess I'll go along with it for now and make an excuse to leave as soon as I can. I just hope he doesn't want to ride anything too big or terrifying. Like I said, I'd never been to an amusement park before, so obviously I've never ridden a rollercoaster either.

"Why don't we go on that first?" Boris suggested, pointing towards one of the rides. I turned my head and of course he had chosen what was probably the biggest rollercoaster in the park. He didn't wait for my response and began to drag me towards it.

"Uh w-wait a minute!" I exclaimed in protest, but he either didn't hear me, or pretended not to. He continued to pull me towards the line, which was incredibly short. I'm guessing the horrifying nature of the ride is to blame. It looks like I'll actually be forced to ride this thing...

"Hmm, whose this?" An unfamiliar voice spoke suddenly. I turned to look at who had spoken and I jumped back in surprise. A face leaned down in front of me, only a few inches away from me. It was a boy probably around the same age as Boris. I was unsurprised to see a pair of mouse ears on top of his head.

"Her name is Gwen, and she's here with _me_." Boris said, glaring at him. The boy clearly didn't notice the hostile tone in his voice.

"I'm Pierce Villiers!" He said, leaning in further despite my obvious discomfort.

"H-hello..." I mumbled as I stepped back further. He stared at me for a moment before suddenly hugging me.

"Ah!" I yelped in surprise as his arms wrapped around me. I tried to push him off, but he was stronger than me.

"Gwen is so cute!" He exclaimed, his grip only tightening as I struggled. I don't like physical contact by any means, especially not hugs. I could feel my body grow rigid as I lost the ability to move and it became difficult to breathe. My heart started to go crazy, beating hard and erratically. I honestly thought I was going to faint.

"Hey! Get the hell off her!" Boris shouted before forcibly removing him from me. I stumbled backwards before balancing myself and trying to calm my beating heart. I stared at the two of them as Boris shouted at the now cowering mouse.

I have to get out of here. _Now_.

My eyes darted around until I saw a sign that led to the entrance. Without any form of a goodbye, I darted off, ignoring Boris's surprised shout and Pierce's apologies. I knew people were staring, but at that moment I didn't care. I didn't have time for a discreet exit. I had to go.

As I ran past the gates, I accidentally ran into someone's shoulder. I turned back and shouted "Sorry!" before continuing to run. I may not be able to ever face Boris again after that, but at least I got away from there. I'm just going to lock myself back into my room and not leave again until I calm down, however long that may take.

…

The Hatter stared in the direction that the frenzied girl had run off towards, momentarily forgetting about the meeting he had planned. The girl had a face for sure, but he knew she wasn't a role holder for he had neither met nor heard of her. She couldn't possibly have been an outsider, could she? The idea seemed ridiculous. Everyone knew how uncommon outsiders were. Meeting not one, but two outsiders in one lifetime would be some kind of miracle. There had to be some kind of explanation for this.

"Something wrong Blood?" Elliot asked, walking up behind him.

"Nothing at all. Let's get this over with. I'm sick to death of these pointless negotiations." Blood replied, completely dismissing what he had seen. It would be a complete waste of time to deal with another outsider only for her to eventually leave this world and everyone in it behind. He would much sooner kill her than ever let that happen again.


End file.
